At this point I'm just assuming everything I ever create and post to the internet is going to be stolen. People have been stealing, reposting, and adding their own pay links to my art for years now, without the help of AI.
I've made D&D themed stickers that are now all over "free clipart" sites, despite me filing requests to have them removed. I've seen my graphics ripped off and included in someone else's art without credit. I've had people tell me that an ACAB image I made showed up as a sticker getting put up around Seattle. Facebook meme pages crop my username out of my posts all the goddamn time. Voice actors on YouTube use my posts for "dramatic reading" videos constantly, and only one has ever asked me permission or given me any cut of the profits from their video.
I see my art out in the wild with no source back to me, and I'm a tiny creator compared to a lot of others. People repost shit constantly, whether it's here, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, whatever. I remember the old tumblr days of "We Heart It is not a goddamn source" PSAs.
I think people are right to be concerned about AI, but at this point I'm much more concerned about it from the perspective of "companies want to use it to cut labor costs," and less "it's theft."
People didn't need AI to steal my art before now. I'm more concerned about trying to freelance in a market full of "oh, we can just get ChatGPT to write and illustrate our articles."
520 notes
·
View notes
I know social media is full of death threats and suicide baiting and violence all over the place, and I know people often use this form of language in a sarcastic way, but please know that if I see that bullshit in my notes at all, you’re blocked. No second chances. No excuses.
It’s harassment, and it’s unacceptable, and I have a zero tolerance policy for that kind of bullshit. Don’t let the screendoor hit you in the ass on the way out.
665 notes
·
View notes
Reminders for the Anxious/Depressed Creatives
You’re more than what you make.
Your productivity does not determine your value.
It’s okay to do nothing sometimes.
Not everything you do has to result in a product.
Not everything you make has to be important, significant, or even good.
You can make things just for yourself.
You can keep secrets for yourself, whether it’s not posting some of your projects or not sharing your techniques.
You’re allowed to say no.
You’re allowed to rest.
119K notes
·
View notes
On w*ndigoag:
W*ndigoag/w*ndigo are sacred Algonquian spirits that have spread to other Anishinaabe cultures. They aren’t worshiped or whatever, they are feared.
They’re the physical embodiments of evil, the result of a person falling into the trap of greed and cruelty, usually in the form of cannibalism. Our fear not only stems from the spirits and the danger they pose to others, but also their implications and the constant reminder that anyone can become a monster if they allow themselves to.
They are not bipedal deer and I have no idea where that concept came from. Most traditional depictions show them as humanoid giants made of ice, usually with the body of the person they came from encased inside.
In some stories, they’re killed by people, usually via fire. In others, they can only be killed by luring them to a body of water and getting the attention of a water spirit to fight it.
There’s very, very few stories where the person can be saved. The transformation into a w*ndigo is not a reversible one, and the only real way to save someone from that existence is to free them with death.
We censor their names because, traditionally, we’re taught not to say them out loud in case we get the attention of one or summon one. This is especially important during winter or at night.
They are not benign spirits. They are not kind. They are not rational. They are evil and cruel, and their only desires center around killing and eating. They’re as rational and logical as a wild raccoon in the late stages of rabies.
You cannot work with them. They can’t be bound, and they definitely can’t be bought or sold. Do not trust any spirit who claims to be a w*ndigo and do not trust any spirit worker who tries to sell you one.
W*ndigoag are Algonquian and Anishinaabe spirits. Algonquian people are the authorities on them, other Anishinaabe people less so. Non-Anishinaabe Natives cannot say that appropriation of w*ndigoag is okay because that isn’t their culture and it’s definitely not their decision to make. You cannot give someone permission to use something that isn’t yours.
The use of w*ndigoag in non-Native media is appropriation. The only exception to this is in when the creators work with Algonquian people to make respectful and accurate depictions. You’ll be very hard pressed to find cases of this.
W*ndigoag are not cryptids because they are sacred spirits. Abrahamic angels are not cryptids. Japanese yokai are not cryptids. Vodou loa are not cryptids. Respect indigenous beliefs as legitimate spirituality instead of reducing our cultures down to bastardized stories.
If you aren’t Anishinaabe, you cannot be “wendigokin”. Appropriation of indigenous spirituality isn’t suddenly okay because your ~soul~ is an indigenous spirit. You are not entitled to our cultures or spiritual beliefs. Jfc.
“Wendigocore” is also bullshit, what the fuck is wrong with you all? Our sacred spirituality is not your ugly ass aesthetic.
(Left those uncensored because it’s a summer afternoon and I want people in those tags to see this. Fuck off.)
Anishinaabe people are not obligated to share our SACRED STORIES with outsiders in order for them to be respected. We don’t want you to make your depictions of w*ndigoag in your stories more accurate. We just want you to leave our cultures alone for once.
Now please stop sending me messages about w*ndigoag. I understand you all just want to learn but I am so fucking tired. I’ve answered these questions dozens of times and I need a break.
Don’t start discourse on this post. I am not in the mood for it.
If any Algonquian or other Anishinaabe people have corrections, hmu.
50K notes
·
View notes
Hi, I am an assiant in TV drama and am a big fan of your work.
I've worked on productions where the writers have been kind of switched off once production starts (or kicked off the project) and ones where the writers are full on EPs, so my question is where do you like to be on this scale? How much overall control do you prefer to have?
(Also sorry to hear about your agent Jenne, she was lovely)
It depends a lot on the project. There are things I've written that I was certain would only get made in a way that resembled what I had in my head if I was there and actually showrunning (like Good Omens, especially Season 1). There are things I was content to take a step back from because I knew that the people making it knew what they were doing. (I haven't been as hands on on Sandman Season 2 as I was Season 1 because I am comfortable that they know what they are doing, and everything that comes in reassures me that I made the right decision.) There are the things you write and wish you were part of the decision making process. There are things you write and know that they aren't yours any more and then get very happy when you see them on the screen (there are three scenes scattered through the eight episodes of Dead Boy Detectives that I wrote, in each case because showrunner Steve Yockey asked me to, and I was thrilled with what they did with each of them.)
717 notes
·
View notes